A senior Canadian Forces officer assigned to the national headquarters in Ottawa has been formally charged with sexual assault, according to information obtained by the Ottawa Citizen. Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Mills faces the charge following an investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service based at Canadian Forces Base Borden in Ontario.
Court Hearing Scheduled
A court hearing for Mills has been scheduled for July 15 in Barrie, Ontario. The notice of undertaking for his appearance was signed by military police on June 4, requiring him to appear on June 11. As part of the conditions, Mills is prohibited from communicating with the alleged victim.
Mills’ lawyer, Brandon Crawford of Edelson Foord Law in Ottawa, issued a statement to the Citizen asserting that “LCol Mills categorically denies any criminal wrongdoing, and trusts that the truth will come to light through the court process.”
Details Remain Scarce
No specific details regarding the circumstances of the allegations have been released. Mills is currently assigned to the office of the Chief of Military Personnel at Canadian Forces headquarters in Ottawa.
The Canadian Forces and the Department of National Defence have not yet responded to a request for comment sent on June 23. It remains unclear why the Office of the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal did not issue a news release about the charge against Mills, as has been done in other cases involving military personnel.
